George goodwin



(No Model.)

G. GOODWIN. STRING FASTENING FOR SOUNDING BOARDS 0P MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 572,671 Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

'wi/ine 3565 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE GOODWIN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL MAYER, OF SAMEPLACE.

STRING-FASTENING FOR SOUNDlNG-BQARDS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 572,677, datedDecember 8, 1896.

Application filed July 27, 1896. Serial No. 600,689. (No model.)

T 0 (.LZZ whom, it may concern..-

Be it known that I, GEORGE GooDWIN, a subject of the Queen of England,residing at London, England, have invented a certain new and usefulString-Fastening for Sound ing-Boards of Musical Instruments, of whichthe following is a specification.

According to this improvement a soundingboard for a harp has thestring-holes lined with metal, so that a smooth bearing-surface isprovided for the strings while the parts of the sounding-board arefirmly held together.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section througha portion of the sounding-board of a harp, showing my improvement. Fig.2 is a transverse section through a single-string peg-hole, while Fig. 3is a perspective View of the peg employed for fastening the strings.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

A sounding-board A has upper and lower strips B and O laid on it andstring peg-holes bored in it in the usual way. These holes are linedwith metal, preferably in the form of a tube or ferrule D, which isinserted in the holeand belled out at its ends, so as to hold the stripsB and O firmly in contact with the sounding-board A while forming asmooth bearing-surface for the strings in the holes, and particularly atthe corner D, where the string is liable to be frayed or cut. The end ofthe string E is preferably secured in the manner shown in Fig. 1 byknotting the end, which is passed through the string peg-hole, andinserting the peg F in the hole, so that the string E lies in the grooveF in this peg. Said peg is preferably tapering in its length, and isprovided with ahead which serves to bear upon or against the string insuch manner as to prevent the latter from easily working loose shouldthe end of the string not be knotted. The groove F is formed to extendinto the under side of the head of the peg, so as to receive thatportion of the string beneath the head where the string is turned to oneside to pass into the peg-holes, and in this way the peg can be pusheddown farther and its head will not project so far beyond the surface ofthe sounding-board, as would result from a head of comparativethickness, and which is objectionable and unsightly.

If preferred, the ferrules D may be constructed as hollow bolts, beingexternally screw-threaded at one end for the reception of a nut,together with a washer or washers, if necessary, or the ferrules maytake the form of hollow screws, the enternal screw-thread beingcarriedthroughout their length, or a suitable form of hollow metal rivet 'orother equivalent arrangement, (fiat or hollowed plates, for example,)such as will fulfil the objects above mentioned, may be employed.

Lining the string peg-holes with metal will be found to give an improvedtone to the instrument, and the strength of the soundingboard isincreased by binding the parts together in the manner indicated, whilethe liability to split both strips and board by driving in the ivorypins or disks at present used is avoided.

From the construction and arrangement described it will be seen that theportion of the string through the hole in the soundingboard is confinedbetween two metallic bodies, 2'. 6., the grooved peg and the tube orferrule, so that the tone of the instrument is materially improved, andis much better in eifect from what would be produced if said string wasin contact partly with metal and partly with wood.

I claim 1. The combination in a harp or similar musical instrument, of asound-board comprising reinforcing-strips arranged in contact with theboard and provided with peg-holes for the passage of the strings,metallic tubes or ferrules passing through the holes and securing thestrips to the board, pegs fitting into said ferrules and each having alongitudinal groove, and the strings having portions of their lengthconfined between the said forrules and pegs and received into thegrooves of the latter, substantially as described.

2. The combination in aharp or similar musical instrument, of asound-board com prising reinforcing-strips arranged in contact with theboard and provided with peg-holes for the passage of the strings,metallic tubes or ferrules passing through said holes and flared at eachend to confine the strips in place, and headed pegs fitting in saidferrules and securing the lower ends of the strings, the said pegs eachhaving a longitudinal groove extending into the under side of the headthereof and receiving portions of the string, substantially asdescribed.

The combination with the soundingboard and the upper and lower stripsthereof, each having coinciding holes extending through the board andstrips, of metallic tubes inserted in said holes and provided at theirends with means which secure the parts together, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand in the presence of thetwo subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE GOODlVIN.

lVitnesses:

HAROLD WADE, HARRY 13. BRIDGE.

